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We present a software package designed to produce photometric lightcurves and measure rotation periods from full-frame images taken by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), which we name ``TESSILATOR''. TESSILATOR is the only publicly-available code that will run a full lightcurve and rotation period ($P_{\rm rot}$) analysis based on just a (list of) target identifier(s) or sky position(s) via a simple command-line prompt. This paper sets out to introduce the rationale for developing TESSILATOR, and then describes the methods, considerations and assumptions for: extracting photometry; dealing with potential contamination; accounting for natural and instrumental systematic effects; lightcurve normalisation and detrending; removing outliers and unreliable data; and finally, measuring the $P_{\rm rot}$ value and several periodogram attributes. Our methods have been tuned specifically to optimise TESS lightcurves and are independent from the pipelines developed by the TESS Science Processing Operations Center, meaning TESSILATOR can, in principle, analyse {\it any} target across the entire celestial sphere. We compare TESSILATOR $P_{\rm rot}$ measurements with TESS-SPOC-derived lightcurves of 1,560 (mainly FGKM-type) stars across four benchmark open clusters (Pisces-Eridanus, the Pleiades, the Hyades and Praesepe) and a sample of nearby field M-dwarfs. From a vetted subsample of 864 targets we find an excellent return of $P_{\rm rot}$ matches for the first 3 open clusters ($>85$ per cent) and a moderate ($\sim 60$ per cent) match for the 700 Myr Praesepe and MEarth sample, which validates TESSILATOR as a tool for measuring $P_{\rm rot}$. The TESSILATOR code is available at \url{https://github.com/alexbinks/tessilator}., Comment: Accepted to Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society on July 26, 2024. 23 pages, 11 figures

We present 2007 - 2020 SpeX VISNIR spectral monitoring of the highly variable RW Aur A CTTS. We find direct evidence for a highly excited, IR bright, asymmetric, and time variable system. Comparison of the spectral and temporal trends found determines 5 different components: (1) a stable continuum from 0.7 - 1.3 um, with approx color temperature 4000K, produced by the CTTS photospheric surface; (2) variable hydrogen emission lines emitted from hot excited hydrogen in the CTTSs protostellar atmosphere/accretion envelope; (3) hot CO gas in the CTTSs protostellar atmosphere/accretion envelope; (4) highly variable 1.8-5.0 um thermal continuum emission with color temperature ranging from 1130 to 1650K, due to a surrounding accretion disk that is spatially variable and has an inner wall at r = 0.04 AU and T = 1650K, and outer edges at approx 1200K; and (5) transient, bifurcated signatures of abundant Fe II + associated SI, SiI, and SrI in the systems jet structures. The bifuracted signatures first appeared in 2015, but these collapsed and disappeared into a small single peak protostellar atmosphere feature by late 2020. The temporal evolution of RW Aur As spectral signatures is consistent with a dynamically excited CTTS system forming differentiated Vesta-sized planetesimals in an asymmetric accretion disk and migrating them inward to be destructively accreted. By contrast, nearby, coeval binary companion RW Aur B evinces only (1) a stable WTTS photospheric continuum from 0.7 - 1.3 um + (3) cold CO gas in absorption + (4) stable 1.8-5.0 um thermal disk continuum emission with color temperature approx 1650K., Comment: 38 Pages, 16 Figures, 2 Tables, accepted for publication in Astrophys J. 24-Jan-2022

Ultraviolet spectra of protoplanetary disks trace distributions of warm gas at radii where rocky planets form. We combine HST-COS observations of H2 and CO emission from 12 classical T Tauri stars to more extensively map inner disk surface layers, where gas temperature distributions allow radially stratified fluorescence from the two species. We calculate empirical emitting radii for each species under the assumption that the line widths are entirely set by Keplerian broadening, demonstrating that the CO fluorescence originates further from the stars (r ~ 20 AU) than the H2 (r ~ 0.8 AU). This is supported by 2-D radiative transfer models, which show that the peak and outer radii of the CO flux distributions generally extend further into the outer disk than the H2. These results also indicate that additional sources of LyA photons remain unaccounted for, requiring more complex models to fully reproduce the molecular gas emission. As a first step, we confirm that the morphologies of the UV-CO bands and LyA radiation fields are significantly correlated and discover that both trace the degree of dust disk evolution. The UV tracers appear to follow the same sequence of disk evolution as forbidden line emission from jets and winds, as the observed LyA profiles transition between dominant red wing and dominant blue wing shapes when the high-velocity optical emission disappears. Our results suggest a scenario where UV radiation fields, disk winds and jets, and molecular gas evolve in harmony with the dust disks throughout their lifetimes., Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journal on 7/13/2021

The evolution of young stars and disks is driven by the interplay of several processes, notably accretion and ejection of material. Critical to correctly describe the conditions of planet formation, these processes are best probed spectroscopically. About five-hundred orbits of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) are being devoted in 2020-2022 to the ULLYSES public survey of about 70 low-mass (M<2Msun) young (age<10 Myr) stars at UV wavelengths. Here we present the PENELLOPE Large Program that is being carried out at the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) to acquire, contemporaneous to HST, optical ESPRESSO/UVES high-resolution spectra to investigate the kinematics of the emitting gas, and UV-to-NIR X-Shooter medium-resolution flux-calibrated spectra to provide the fundamental parameters that HST data alone cannot provide, such as extinction and stellar properties. The data obtained by PENELLOPE have no proprietary time, and the fully reduced spectra are made available to the whole community. Here, we describe the data and the first scientific analysis of the accretion properties for the sample of thirteen targets located in the Orion OB1 association and in the sigma-Orionis cluster, observed in Nov-Dec 2020. We find that the accretion rates are in line with those observed previously in similarly young star-forming regions, with a variability on a timescale of days of <3. The comparison of the fits to the continuum excess emission obtained with a slab model on the X-Shooter spectra and the HST/STIS spectra shows a shortcoming in the X-Shooter estimates of <10%, well within the assumed uncertainty. Its origin can be either a wrong UV extinction curve or due to the simplicity of this modelling, and will be investigated in the course of the PENELLOPE program. The combined ULLYSES and PENELLOPE data will be key for a better understanding of the accretion/ejection mechanisms in young stars., Comment: Accepted for publication on Astronomy & Astrophysics. 15 pages + appendix, language edited version

Young accreting stars drive outflows that collimate into jets, which can be seen hundreds of au from their driving sources. Accretion and outflow activity cease with system age, and it is believed that magneto-centrifugally launched disk winds are critical agents in regulating accretion through the protoplanetary disk. Protostellar jets are well studied in classical T~Tauri stars ($M_\star\lesssim2\,M_\odot$), while few nearby ($d\lesssim150\,$pc) intermediate-mass stars ($M_\star=2-10\,M_\odot$), known as Herbig Ae/Be stars, have detected jets. We report VLT/MUSE observations of the Herbig~Ae/Be star HD~100546 and the discovery of a protostellar jet. The jet is similar in appearance to jets driven by low-mass stars and compares well with the jet of HD~163296, the only other known optical jet from a nearby Herbig~Ae/Be star. We derive a (one-sided) mass-loss rate in the jet of $\log \dot{M}_{jet} \sim -9.5$ (in $M_\odot$\,yr$^{-1}$) and a ratio of outflow to accretion of roughly $3\times10^{-3}$, which is lower than that of CTTS jets. The discovery of the HD~100546 jet is particularly interesting because the protoplanetary disk around HD~100546 shows a large radial gap, spiral structure, and might host a protoplanetary system. A bar-like structure previously seen in H$\alpha$ with VLT/SPHERE shares the jet position angle, likely represents the base of the jet, and suggests a jet-launching region within about 2\,au. We conclude that the evolution of the disk at radii beyond a few au does not affect the ability of the system to launch jets., Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in A&A letters

The formation of low-mass stars in molecular clouds involves accretion disks and jets, which are of broad astrophysical interest. Accreting stars represent the closest examples of these phenomena. Star and planet formation are also intimately connected, setting the starting point for planetary systems like our own. The ultraviolet (UV) spectral range is particularly suited to study star formation, because virtually all relevant processes radiate at temperatures associated with UV emission processes or have strong observational signatures in the UV. In this review, we describe how UV observations provide unique diagnostics for the accretion process, the physical properties of the protoplanetary disk, and jets and outflows., Comment: 26 pages, 12 figures. Published in Galaxies special issue: "Star Formation in the UV", ed. Jorick Vink

The UV radiation field is a critical regulator of gas-phase chemistry in surface layers of disks around young stars. In an effort to understand the relationship between photocatalyzing UV radiation fields and gas emission observed at infrared and sub-mm wavelengths, we present an analysis of new and archival HST, Spitzer, ALMA, IRAM, and SMA data for five targets in the Lupus cloud complex and 14 systems in Taurus-Auriga. The HST spectra were used to measure LyA and FUV continuum fluxes reaching the disk surface, which are responsible for dissociating relevant molecular species (e.g. HCN, N2). Semi-forbidden C II] 2325 and UV-fluorescent H2 emission were also measured to constrain inner disk populations of C+ and vibrationally excited H2. We find a significant positive correlation between 14 micron HCN emission and fluxes from the FUV continuum and C II] 2325, consistent with model predictions requiring N2 photodissociation and carbon ionization to trigger the main CN/HCN formation pathways. We also report significant negative correlations between sub-mm CN emission and both C II] and FUV continuum fluxes, implying that CN is also more readily dissociated in disks with stronger FUV irradiation. No clear relationships are detected between either CN or HCN and LyA or UV-H2 emission. This is attributed to the spatial stratification of the various molecular species, which span several vertical layers and radii across the inner and outer disk. We expect that future observations with JWST will build on this work by enabling more sensitive IR surveys than were possible with Spitzer., Comment: Accepted for publication in AJ

The mass accretion rate is a crucial parameter for the study of the evolution of accretion discs around young low-mass stellar and substellar objects (YSOs). We revisit the case of MYLup, an object where VLT/X-Shooter data suggested a negligible mass accretion rate, and show it to be accreting on a level similar to other ClassII YSOs in Lupus based on HST observations. In our HST-COS and -STIS spectra, we find many emission lines, as well as substantial FUV continuum excess emission, which can be ascribed to active accretion. The total luminosity of the CIV 1549A doublet is 4.1$\times10^{-4}$ Lsun. Using scalings between accretion luminosity, Lacc, and CIV luminosity from the literature, we derive Lacc $\sim$2$\times10^{-1}$ Lsun, which is more than an order of magnitude higher than the upper limit estimated from the X-Shooter observations. We discuss possible reasons for the X-Shooter-HST discrepancy, the most plausible being that the low contrast between the continuum excess emission and the photospheric+chromospheric emission at optical wavelengths in MYLup hampered detection of excess emission. The luminosity of the FUV continuum and CIV lines, strong H$_{2}$ fluorescence, and a "1600 A Bump" place MYLup in the class of accreting objects with gas-rich discs. So far, MYLup is the only peculiar case in which a significant difference between the HST and X-Shooter Macc estimates exists that is not ascribable to variability. The mass accretion rate inferred from the revisited Lacc estimate is Macc $\sim$ 1( $^{+1.5}_{-0.5}$ )$\times10^{-8}$ Msun/yr. This value is consistent with the typical value derived for accreting YSOs of similar mass in Lupus and points to less clearing of the inner disc than indicated by near- and mid-infrared observations. This is confirmed by ALMA data, which show that the gaps and rings seen in the sub-millimetre are relatively shallow., Comment: 13 pager, 8 figures, two tables

Classical T Tauri stars (CTTSs) accrete matter from the inner edge of their surrounding circumstellar disks. The impact of the accretion material on the stellar atmosphere results in a strong shock, which causes emission from the X-ray to the near-infrared (NIR) domain. Shock velocities of several 100 km s$^{-1}$ imply that the immediate post shock plasma emits mainly in X-rays. Indeed, two X-ray diagnostics, the so-called soft excess and the high densities observed in He-like triplets, differentiate CTTSs from their non-accreting siblings. However, accretion shock properties derived from X-ray diagnostics often contradict established ultraviolet (UV)-NIR accretion tracers and a physical model simultaneously explaining both, X-ray and UV-NIR accretion tracers, is not yet available. We present new XMM-Newton and Chandra grating observations of the CTTS T Tauri combined with UV and optical data. During all epochs, the soft excess is large and the densities derived from the O VII and Ne IX He-like triplets are compatible with coronal densities. This confirms that the soft X-ray emission cannot originate in accretion funnels that carry the bulk of the accretion rate despite T Tauri's large soft excess. Instead, we propose a model of radially density stratified accretion columns to explain the density diagnostics and the soft excess. In addition, accretion rate and X-ray luminosity are inversely correlated in T Tauri over several epochs. Such an anti-correlation has been observed in samples of stars. Hence the process causing it must be intrinsic to the accretion process, and we speculate that the stellar magnetic field configuration on the visibile hemisphere affects both the accretion rate and the coronal emission, eventually causing the observed anti-correlation., Comment: 16 pages, 11 figures, A&A accepted

Disk warps around classical T Tauri stars (CTTS) can periodically obscure the central star for some viewing geometries. For these so-called AA Tau-like variables, the obscuring material is located in the inner disk and absorption spectroscopy allows one to characterize its dust and gas content. Since the observed emission from CTTS consists of several components (photospheric, accretion, jet, and disk emission), which can all vary with time, it is generally challenging to disentangling disk features from emission variability. Multi-epoch, flux-calibrated, broadband spectra provide us with the necessary information to cleanly separate absorption from emission variability. We applied this method to three epochs of VLT/X-Shooter spectra of the CTTS V354 Mon (CSI Mon-660) located in NGC 2264 and find that: (a) the accretion emission remains virtually unchanged between the three epochs; (b) the broadband flux evolution is best described by disk material obscuring part of the star, and (c) the Na and K gas absorption lines show only a minor increase in equivalent width during phases of high dust extinction. The limits on the absorbing gas column densities indicate a low gas-to-dust ratio in the inner disk, less than a tenth of the ISM value. We speculate that the evolutionary state of V354 Mon, rather old with a low accretion rate, is responsible for the dust excess through an evolution toward a dust dominated disk or through the fragmentation of larger bodies that drifted inward from larger radii in a still gas dominated disk., Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, A&A accepted

We present a study of molecular gas in the inner disk $\left(r < 20 \, \text{AU} \right)$ around RY Lupi, with spectra from HST-COS, HST-STIS, and VLT-CRIRES. We model the radial distribution of flux from hot gas in a surface layer between $r = 0.1-10$ AU, as traced by Ly$\alpha$-pumped H$_2$. The result shows H$_2$ emission originating in a ring centered at $\sim$3 AU that declines within $r < 0.1$ AU, which is consistent with the behavior of disks with dust cavities. An analysis of the H$_2$ line shapes shows that a two-component Gaussian profile $\left(\text{FWHM}_{broad, H_2} = 105 \pm 15 \, \text{km s}^{-1}; \, \text{FWHM}_{narrow, H_2} = 43 \pm 13 \, \text{km s}^{-1} \right)$ is statistically preferred to a single-component Gaussian. We interpret this as tentative evidence for gas emitting from radially separated disk regions $\left( \left \langle r_{broad, H_2} \right \rangle \sim 0.4 \pm 0.1 \, \text{AU}; \, \left \langle r_{narrow, H_2} \right \rangle \sim 3 \pm 2 \, \text{AU} \right)$. The 4.7 $\mu$m $^{12}$CO emission lines are also well fit by two-component profiles $\left( \left \langle r_{broad, CO} \right \rangle = 0.4 \pm 0.1 \, \text{AU}; \, \left \langle r_{narrow, CO} \right \rangle = 15 \pm 2 \, \text{AU} \right)$. We combine these results with 10 $\mu$m observations to form a picture of gapped structure within the mm-imaged dust cavity, providing the first such overview of the inner regions of a young disk. The HST SED of RY Lupi is available online for use in modeling efforts., Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ

Using Chandra we have obtained imaging X-ray spectroscopy of the 10 to 16 Myr old F-star binary HD 113766. We individually resolve the binary components for the first time in the X-ray and find a total 0.3 to 2.0 keV luminosity of 2.2e29 erg/sec, consistent with previous RASS estimates. We find emission from the easternmost, infrared-bright, dusty member HD 113766A to be only 10% that of the western, infrared-faint member HD 113766B. There is no evidence for a 3rd late-type stellar or sub-stellar member of HD113766 with Lx > 6e25 erg s-1 within 2 arcmin of the binary pair. The ratio of the two stars Xray luminosity is consistent with their assignments as F2V and F6V by Pecaut et al. (2012). The emission is soft for both stars, kTApec = 0.30 to 0.50 keV, suggesting X-rays produced by stellar rotation and/or convection in young dynamos, but not accretion or outflow shocks which we rule out. A possible 2.8 +/- 0.15 (2{\sigma}) hr modulation in the HD 113766B X-ray emission is seen, but at very low confidence and of unknown provenance. Stellar wind drag models corresponding to Lx = 2e29 erg s-1 argue for a 1 mm dust particle lifetime around HD 113766B of only 90,0000 years, suggesting that dust around HD 113766B is quickly removed, whereas dust around HD 113766A can survive for > 1.5e6 yrs. At 1e28 to 1e29 erg s-1 luminosity, astrobiologically important effects, like dust warming and X-ray photolytic organic synthesis, are likely for any circumstellar material in the HD 113766 systems., Comment: 23 Pages, 3 Figures Key words: X-rays: stars; techniques: spectroscopic; stars: planetary systems: formation, debris disks; astrochemistry

Earth's atmosphere imprints a large number of telluric absorption and emission lines on astronomical spectra, especially in the near infrared, that need to be removed before analysing the affected wavelength regions. These lines are typically removed by comparison to A- or B-type stars used as telluric standards that themselves have strong hydrogen lines, which complicates the removal of telluric lines. We have developed a method to circumvent that problem. For our IDL software package tellrem we used a recent approach to model telluric absorption features with the line-by-line radiative transfer model (LBLRTM). The broad wavelength coverage of the X-Shooter at VLT allows us to expand their technique by determining the abundances of the most important telluric molecules H2O, O2, CO2, and CH4 from sufficiently isolated line groups. For individual observations we construct a telluric absorption model for most of the spectral range that is used to remove the telluric absorption from the object spectrum. We remove telluric absorption from both continuum regions and emission lines without systematic residuals for most of the processable spectral range; however, our method increases the statistical errors. The errors of the corrected spectrum typically increase by 10% for S/N~10 and by a factor of two for high-quality data (S/N~100), i.e. the method is accurate on the percent level. Modelling telluric absorption can be an alternative to the observation of standard stars for removing telluric contamination., Comment: accepted by A&A, 10 pages, 6 figures, added note in proof and corrected typo in title

Young stars are surrounded by copious amounts of circumstellar material. Its composition, in particular its gas-to-dust ratio, is an important parameter. However, measuring this ratio is challenging, because gas mass estimates are often model dependent. X-ray absorption is sensitive to the gas along the line-of-sight while optical/near-IR extinction depends on the dust content. Therefore, the gas-to-dust ratio of an absorber is given by the ratio between X-ray and optical/near-IR extinction. We present three systems where we used X-ray and optical/near-IR data to constrain the gas-to-dust ratio of circumstellar material; from a dust-rich debris disk to gaseous protoplanetary disks., Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. To appear in "Young Stars and Planets Near the Sun", Proceedings of IAU Symposium No. 314 (Cambridge University Press), J.H. Kastner, B. Stelzer, S.A. Metchev, eds

The binary system RW Aur consists of two classical T~Tauri stars (CTTSs). The primary recently underwent its second observed major dimming event ($\Delta V\,\sim2\,$mag). We present new, resolved Chandra X-ray and UKIRT near-IR (NIR) data as well as unresolved optical photometry obtained in the dim state to study the gas and dust content of the absorber causing the dimming. The X-ray data show that the absorbing column density increased from $N_H<0.1\times10^{22}\,$cm$^{-2}$ during the bright state to $\approx2\times10^{22}\,$cm$^{-2}$ in the dim state. The brightness ratio between dim and bright state at optical to NIR wavelengths shows only a moderate wavelength dependence and the NIR color-color diagram suggests no substantial reddening. Taken together, this indicates gray absorption by large grains ($\gtrsim1\,\mu$m) with a dust mass column density of $\gtrsim2\times10^{-4}\,$g$\,$cm$^{-2}$. Comparison with $N_H$ shows that an absorber responsible for the optical/NIR dimming and the X-ray absorption is compatible with the ISM's gas-to-dust ratio, i.e., that grains grow in the disk surface layers without largely altering the gas-to-dust ratio. Lastly, we discuss a scenario in which a common mechanism can explain the long-lasting dimming in RW Aur and recently in AA Tau., Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, accepted by A&A letters

AA Tau is a well-studied, nearby classical T Tauri star, which is viewed almost edge-on. A warp in its inner disk periodically eclipses the central star, causing a clear modulation of its optical light curve. The system underwent a major dimming event beginning in 2011 caused by an extra absorber, which is most likely associated with additional disk material in the line of sight toward the central source. We present new XMM-Newton X-ray, Hubble Space Telescope FUV, and ground based optical and near-infrared data of the system obtained in 2013 during the long-lasting dim phase. The line width decrease of the fluorescent H$_2$ disk emission shows that the extra absorber is located at $r>1\,$au. Comparison of X-ray absorption ($N_H$) with dust extinction ($A_V$), as derived from measurements obtained one inner disk orbit (eight days) after the X-ray measurement, indicates that the gas-to-dust ratio as probed by the $N_H$ to $A_V$ ratio of the extra absorber is compatible with the ISM ratio. Combining both results suggests that the extra absorber, i.e., material at $r>1\,$au, has no significant gas excess in contrast to the elevated gas-to-dust ratio previously derived for material in the inner region ($\lesssim0.1\,$au)., Comment: 16 pages, 12 figures, accepted by A&A

As part of the Young Stellar Object VARiability (YSOVAR) program, we monitored NGC 1333 for ~35 days at 3.6 and 4.5 um using the Spitzer Space Telescope. We report here on the mid-infrared variability of the point sources in the ~10x~20arcmin area centered on 03:29:06, +31:19:30 (J2000). Out of 701 light curves in either channel, we find 78 variables over the YSOVAR campaign. About half of the members are variable. The variable fraction for the most embedded SEDs (Class I, flat) is higher than that for less embedded SEDs (Class II), which is in turn higher than the star-like SEDs (Class III). A few objects have amplitudes (10-90th percentile brightness) in [3.6] or [4.5]>0.2 mag; a more typical amplitude is 0.1-0.15 mag. The largest color change is >0.2 mag. There are 24 periodic objects, with 40% of them being flat SED class. This may mean that the periodic signal is primarily from the disk, not the photosphere, in those cases. We find 9 variables likely to be 'dippers', where texture in the disk occults the central star, and 11 likely to be 'bursters', where accretion instabilities create brightness bursts. There are 39 objects that have significant trends in [3.6]-[4.5] color over the campaign, about evenly divided between redder-when-fainter (consistent with extinction variations) and bluer-when-fainter. About a third of the 17 Class 0 and/or jet-driving sources from the literature are variable over the YSOVAR campaign, and a larger fraction (~half) are variable between the YSOVAR campaign and the cryogenic-era Spitzer observations (6-7 years), perhaps because it takes time for the envelope to respond to changes in the central source. The NGC 1333 brown dwarfs do not stand out from the stellar light curves in any way except there is a much larger fraction of periodic objects (~60% of variable brown dwarfs are periodic, compared to ~30% of the variables overall)., Comment: 84 pages, 43 figures. Accepted by AJ

We present a time-variability study of young stellar objects in the cluster IRAS 20050+2720, performed at 3.6 and 4.5 micron with the Spitzer Space Telescope; this study is part of the Young Stellar Object VARiability project (YSOVAR). We have collected light curves for 181 cluster members over 40 days. We find a high variability fraction among embedded cluster members of ca. 70%, whereas young stars without a detectable disk display variability less often (in ca. 50% of the cases) and with lower amplitudes. We detect periodic variability for 33 sources with periods primarily in the range of 2-6 days. Practically all embedded periodic sources display additional variability on top of their periodicity. Furthermore, we analyze the slopes of the tracks that our sources span in the color-magnitude diagram (CMD). We find that sources with long variability time scales tend to display CMD slopes that are at least partially influenced by accretion processes, while sources with short variability time scales tend to display extinction-dominated slopes. We find a tentative trend of X-ray detected cluster members to vary on longer time scales than the X-ray undetected members., Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journal. Data from Table 2 is given as a machine-readable file in the source of this arXiv submission

The YSOVAR (Young Stellar Object VARiability) Spitzer Space Telescope observing program obtained the first extensive mid-infrared (3.6 & 4.5 um) time-series photometry of the Orion Nebula Cluster plus smaller footprints in eleven other star-forming cores (AFGL490, NGC1333, MonR2, GGD 12-15, NGC2264, L1688, Serpens Main, Serpens South, IRAS 20050+2720, IC1396A, and Ceph C). There are ~29,000 unique objects with light curves in either or both IRAC channels in the YSOVAR data set. We present the data collection and reduction for the Spitzer and ancillary data, and define the "standard sample" on which we calculate statistics, consisting of fast cadence data, with epochs about twice per day for ~40d. We also define a "standard sample of members", consisting of all the IR-selected members and X-ray selected members. We characterize the standard sample in terms of other properties, such as spectral energy distribution shape. We use three mechanisms to identify variables in the fast cadence data--the Stetson index, a chi^2 fit to a flat light curve, and significant periodicity. We also identified variables on the longest timescales possible of ~6 years, by comparing measurements taken early in the Spitzer mission with the mean from our YSOVAR campaign. The fraction of members in each cluster that are variable on these longest timescales is a function of the ratio of Class I/total members in each cluster, such that clusters with a higher fraction of Class I objects also have a higher fraction of long-term variables. For objects with a YSOVAR-determined period and a [3.6]-[8] color, we find that a star with a longer period is more likely than those with shorter periods to have an IR excess. We do not find any evidence for variability that causes [3.6]-[4.5] excesses to appear or vanish within our data; out of members and field objects combined, at most 0.02% may have transient IR excesses., Comment: Accepted to AJ; 38 figures, 93 pages

In this splinter session, ten speakers presented results on solar and stellar activity and how the two fields are connected. This was followed by a lively discussion and supplemented by short, one-minute highlight talks. The talks presented new theoretical and observational results on mass accretion on the Sun, the activity rate of flare stars, the evolution of the stellar magnetic field on time scales of a single cycle and over the lifetime of a star, and two different approaches to model the radial-velocity jitter in cool stars that is due to the granulation on the surface. Talks and discussion showed how much the interpretation of stellar activity data relies on the sun and how the large number of objects available in stellar studies can extend the parameter range of activity models., Comment: conference proceedings for "18th Cambridge workshop on Cool Stars, Stellar Systems and the Sun", 13 pages, 4 figures

The emission from young stellar objects (YSOs) in the mid-IR is dominated by the inner rim of their circumstellar disks. We present an IR-monitoring survey of about 800 objects in the direction of the Lynds 1688 (L1688) star forming region over four visibility windows spanning 1.6 years using the \emph{Spitzer} space telescope in its warm mission phase. Among all lightcurves, 57 sources are cluster members identified based on their spectral-energy distribution and X-ray emission. Almost all cluster members show significant variability. The amplitude of the variability is larger in more embedded YSOs. Ten out of 57 cluster members have periodic variations in the lightcurves with periods typically between three and seven days, but even for those sources, significant variability in addition to the periodic signal can be seen. No period is stable over 1.6 years. Non-periodic lightcurves often still show a preferred timescale of variability which is longer for more embedded sources. About half of all sources exhibit redder colors in a fainter state. This is compatible with time-variable absorption towards the YSO. The other half becomes bluer when fainter. These colors can only be explained with significant changes in the structure of the inner disk. No relation between mid-IR variability and stellar effective temperature or X-ray spectrum is found., Comment: accepted by ApJ, 24 pages, 17 figures

Classical T Tauri stars (CTTS) are young (< 10 Myr), cool stars that actively accrete matter from a disk. They show strong, broad and asymmetric, atomic FUV emission lines. Neither the width, nor the line profile is understood. Likely, different mechanisms influence the line profile; the best candidates are accretion, winds and stellar activity. We monitored the C IV 1548/1550 Ang doublet in the nearby, bright CTTS TW Hya with the Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Origin Spectrograph (HST/COS) to correlate it with i) the cool wind, as seen in COS NUV Mg II line profiles, ii) the photometric period from joint ground-based monitoring, iii) the accretion rate as determined from the UV continuum, and iv) the Ha line profile from independent ground-based observations. The observations span 10 orbits distributed over a few weeks to cover the typical time scales of stellar rotation, accretion and winds. Here we describe a model with intrinsically asymmetric C IV lines., Comment: Submitted to proceedings of 18th Cambridge Workshop on Cool Stars, Stellar Systems and the Sun

Abridged. Here we report on the X-ray activity of the primary star, HD189733 A, using a new XMM-Newton observation and a comparison with the previous X-ray observations. The spectrum in the quiescent intervals is described by two temperatures at 0.2 keV and 0.7 keV, while during the flares a third component at 0.9 keV is detected. We obtain estimates of the electron density in the range $n_e = 1.6 - 13 \times 10^{10}$ cm$^{-3}$ and thus the corona of HD189733 A appears denser than the solar one. {For the third time, we observe a large flare that occurred just after the eclipse of the planet. Together with the flares observed in 2009 and 2011, the events are restricted to a small planetary phase range of $\phi = 0.55-0.65$. Although we do not find conclusive evidence of a significant excess of flares after the secondary transits, we suggest that the planet might trigger such flares when it passes close to locally high magnetic field of the underlying star at particular combinations of stellar rotational phases and orbital planetary phases. For the most recent flares, a wavelet analysis of the light curve suggests a loop of length of four stellar radii at the location of the bright flare, and a local magnetic field of order of 40-100 G, in agreement with the global field measured in other studies. The loop size suggests an interaction of magnetic nature between planet and star, separated by only $\sim8 R_*$. We also detect the stellar companion (HD 189733 B, $\sim12"$ from the primary star) in this XMM observation. Its very low X-ray luminosity ($L_X = 3.4\times 10^{26}$ erg s$^{-1}$) confirms the old age of this star and of the binary system. The high activity of the primary star is best explained by a transfer of angular momentum from the planet to the star., Comment: Preprint format, 28 Pages, 10 Figures, accepted for publication on ApJ

We present a deep XMM-Newton observation of DN Tau, a young M0-type accreting CTTS and investigate its X-ray properties and X-ray generating mechanisms. Specifically we examine the presence of X-ray emission from magnetic activity and accretion shocks and compare our new X-ray data with UV data taken simultaneously and with X-ray/UV observations performed before. We find that the X-ray emission from DN Tau is dominated by coronal plasma generated via magnetic activity, but also clearly detect a contribution of the accretion shocks to the cool plasma component at about 2 MK as consistently inferred from density and temperature analysis. Typical phenomena of active coronae like flaring, the presence of very hot plasma at 30 MK and an abundance pattern showing the inverse FIP effect are seen on DN Tau. Strong variations in the emission measure of the cooler plasma components between the 2005 and 2010 XMM data point to accretion related changes. The UV light curve taken simultaneously is in general not related to the X-ray brightness, but exhibits clear counterparts during the observed X-ray flares. The X-ray properties of DN Tau are similar to those of more massive CTTS, but its low mass and large radius shift the accretion shocks to lower temperatures, reducing their imprint in the X-ray regime., Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in A&A

One of the best-studied jets from all young stellar objects is the jet of DG Tau, which we imaged in the FUV with HST for the first time. These high spatial resolution images were obtained with long-pass filters and allow us to construct images tracing mainly molecular hydrogen and C IV emission. We find that the H2 emission appears as a limb-brightened cone with additional emission close to the jet axis. The length of the rims is about 0.3 arcsec or 42 AU (proj.) before their brightness strongly drops, and the opening angle is about 90 deg. Comparing our FUV data with near-IR data we find that the fluorescent H2 emission likely traces the outer, cooler part of the disk wind while an origin of the H2 emission in the surface layers (atmosphere) of the (flared) disk is unlikely. Furthermore, the spatial shape of the H2 emission shows little variation over six years which suggests that the outer part of the disk wind is rather stable and probably not associated with the formation of individual knots. The C IV image shows that the emission is concentrated towards the jet axis. We find no indications for additional C IV emission at larger distances, which strengthens the association with the X-ray emission observed to originate within the DG Tau jet., Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in A&A

Young T Tauri stars (TTS) are surrounded by an accretion disk, which over time disperses due to photoevaporation, accretion, and possibly planet formation. The accretion shock on the central star produces an UV/optical veiling continuum, line emission, and X-ray signatures. As the accretion rate decreases, the impact on the central star must change. In this article we study MN Lup, a young star where no indications of a disk are seen in IR observations. We present XMM-Newton and VLT/UVES observations, some of them taken simultaneously. The X-ray data show that MN Lup is an active star with L_X/L_bol close to the saturation limit. However, we find high densities (n_e > 3e10 /cm^3) in the X-ray grating spectrum. This can be well fitted using an accretion shock model with an accretion rate of 2e-11 M_sun/yr. Despite the simple Halpha line profile which has a broad component, but no absorption signatures as typically seen on accreting TTS, we find rotational modulation in Ca II K and in photospheric absorption lines. In the Halpha line we see a prominence in absorption about 2R_* above the stellar surface - the first of its kind on a TTS. MN Lup is also the only TTS where accretion is seen, but no dust disk is detected that could fuel it. We suggest that MN Lup presents a unique and short-lived state in the disk evolution. It may have lost its dust disk only recently and is now accreting the remaining gas at a very low rate., Comment: 13 pages, 7 figures, accepted by ApJ

Tau Bootis is a late F-type main sequence star orbited by a Hot Jupiter. During the last years spectropolarimetric observations led to the hypothesis that this star may host a global magnetic field that switches its polarity once per year, indicating a very short activity cycle of only one year duration. In our ongoing observational campaign, we have collected several X-ray observations with XMM-Newton and optical spectra with TRES/FLWO in Arizona to characterize tau Boo's corona and chromosphere over the course of the supposed one-year cycle. Contrary to the spectropolarimetric reconstructions, our observations do not show indications for a short activity cycle., Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, appeared in Astronomical Notes 333, 1, 26-29 (2012)

Young A and B stars, the so-called Herbig Ae/Be stars (HAeBe), are surrounded by an active accretion disk and drive outflows. We study the jet HH 409, which is launched from the HAeBe star HD 163296, using new and archival observations from Chandra and HST/STIS. In X-rays we can show that the central source is not significantly extended. The approaching jet, but not the counter-jet, is detected in Ly alpha. In addition, there is red-shifted Ly alpha emission extended in the same direction as the jet, that is also absent in the counter-jet. We can rule out an accretion or disk-wind origin for this feature. In the optical we find the knots B and B2 in the counter-jet. Knot B has been observed previously, so we can derive its proper motion of 0.37+-0.01 arcsec/yr. Its electron density is 3000/cm^3, thus the cooling time scale is a few months only, so the knot needs to be reheated continuously. The shock speed derived from models of H alpha and forbidden emission lines (FELs) decreased from 50 km/s in 1999 to 30 km/s in 2011 because the shock front loses energy as it travels along the jet. Knot B2 is observed at a similar position in 2011 as knot B was in 1999, but shows a lower ionization fraction and higher mass loss rate, proving variations in the jet launching conditions., Comment: 14 pages, 8 figures, accepted by A&A

Protostellar jets are tightly connected to the accretion process and regulate the angular momentum balance of accreting star-disk systems. The DG Tau jet is one of the best-studied protostellar jets and contains plasma with temperatures ranging over three orders of magnitude within the innermost 50 AU of the jet. We present new Hubble Space Telescope (HST) far ultraviolet (FUV) long-slit spectra spatially resolving the C IV emission (T~1e5 K) from the jet for the first time, and quasi-simultaneous HST observations of optical forbidden emission lines ([O I], [N II], [S II] and [O III]) and fluorescent H2 lines. The C IV emission peaks at 42 AU from the stellar position and has a FWHM of 52 AU along the jet. Its deprojected velocity of around 200 km/s decreases monotonically away from the driving source. In addition, we compare our HST data with the X-ray emission from the DG Tau jet. We investigate the requirements to explain the data by an initially hot jet compared to local heating. Both scenarios indicate a mass loss by the T~1e5 K jet of ~1e-9 Msun/year, i.e., between the values for the lower temperature jet (T~1e4 K) and the hotter X-ray emitting part (T>1e6 K). However, a simple initially hot wind requires a large launching region (~1 AU), and we therefore favor local heating., Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, accepted by A&A letters

Diagnostics of electron temperature (T_e), electron density (n_e), and hydrogen column density (N_H) from the Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating spectrum of He-like Ne IX in TW Hydrae (TW Hya), in conjunction with a classical accretion model, allow us to infer the accretion rate onto the star directly from measurements of the accreting material. The new method introduces the use of the absorption of Ne IX lines as a measure of the column density of the intervening, accreting material. On average, the derived mass accretion rate for TW Hya is 1.5 x 10^{-9} M_{\odot} yr^{-1}, for a stellar magnetic field strength of 600 Gauss and a filling factor of 3.5%. Three individual Chandra exposures show statistically significant differences in the Ne IX line ratios, indicating changes in N_H, T_e, and n_e by factors of 0.28, 1.6, and 1.3, respectively. In exposures separated by 2.7 days, the observations reported here suggest a five-fold reduction in the accretion rate. This powerful new technique promises to substantially improve our understanding of the accretion process in young stars.

This contribution summarizes the splinter session "Non-thermal processes in coronae and beyond" held at the Cool Stars 17 workshop in Barcelona in 2012. It covers new developments in high energy non-thermal effects in the Earth's exosphere, solar and stellar flares, the diffuse emission in star forming regions and reviews the state and the challenges of the underlying atomic databases., Comment: To appear in the proceedings of the Cool Stars 17 workshop

IRAS 20050+2720 is young star forming region at a distance of 700 pc without apparent high mass stars. We present results of our multiwavelength study of IRAS 20050+2720 which includes observations by Chandra and Spitzer, and 2MASS and UBVRI photometry. In total, about 300 YSOs in different evolutionary stages are found. We characterize the distribution of young stellar objects (YSOs) in this region using a minimum spanning tree (MST) analysis. We newly identify a second cluster core, which consists mostly of class II objects, about 10 arcmin from the center of the cloud. YSOs of earlier evolutionary stages are more clustered than more evolved objects. The X-ray luminosity function (XLF) of IRAS 20050+2720 is roughly lognormal, but steeper than the XLF of the more massive Orion nebula complex. IRAS 20050+2720 shows a lower N_H/A_K ratio compared with the diffuse ISM., Comment: 15 pages, 12 figures, accepted by AJ

Young stellar objects often drive powerful bipolar outflows which evolve on time scales of a few years. An increasing number of these outflows has been detected in X-rays implying the existence of million degree plasma almost co-spatial with the lower temperature gas observed in the optical and near-IR. The details of the heating and cooling processes of the X-ray emitting part of these so-called Herbig-Haro objects are still ambiguous, e.g., whether the cooling is dominated by expansion, radiation or thermal conduction. We present a second epoch Chandra observation of the first X-ray detected Herbig-Haro object (HH 2) and derive the proper-motion of the X-ray emitting plasma and its cooling history. We argue that the most likely explanation for the constancy of the X-ray luminosity, the alignment with the optical emission and the proper-motion is that the cooling is dominated by radiative losses leading to cooling times exceeding a decade. We explain that a strong shock caused by fast material ramming into slower gas in front of it about ten years ago can explain the X-ray emission while being compatible with the available multi-wavelength data of HH 2., Comment: 5 pages with 4 figures; accepted for publication by Astronomy and Astrophysics

A type stars are expected to be X-ray dark, yet weak emission has been detected from several objects in this class. We present new Chandra/HRC-I observations of the A5 V star \beta{} Pictoris. It is clearly detected with a flux of 9+-2 10^{-4} counts/s. In comparison with previous data this constrains the emission mechanism and we find that the most likely explanation is an optically thin, collisionally dominated, thermal emission component with a temperature around 1.1 MK. We interpret this component as a very cool and dim corona, with \log L_X/L_{bol}=-8.2 (0.2-2.0 keV). Thus, it seems that \beta{} Pictoris shares more characteristics with cool stars than previously thought., Comment: accepted by ApJ, 5 pages, 2 figures

We report on the follow-up XMM-Newton observation of the planet-hosting star HD 189733 we obtained in April 2011. We observe a flare just after the secondary transit of the hot Jupiter. This event shares the same phase and many of the characteristics of the flare we observed in 2009. We suggest that a systematic interaction between planet and stellar magnetic fields when the planet passes close to active regions on the star can lead to periodic variability phased with planetary motion. By mean of high resolution X-ray spectroscopy with RGS we determine that the corona of this star is unusually dense., Comment: accepted for publication on ApJL

Protostars are actively accreting matter and they drive spectacular, dynamic outflows, which evolve on timescales of years. X-ray emission from these jets has been detected only in a few cases and little is known about its time evolution. We present a new Chandra observation of L1551 IRS 5's jet in the context of all available X-ray data of this object. Specifically, we perform a spatially resolved spectral analysis of the X-ray emission and find that (a) the total X-ray luminosity is constant over almost one decade, (b) the majority of the X-rays appear to be always located close to the driving source, (c) there is a clear trend in the photon energy as a function of the distance to the driving source indicating that the plasma is cooler at larger distances and (d) the X-ray emission is located in a small volume which is unresolved perpendicular to the jet axis by Chandra. A comparison of our X-ray data of the L1551 IRS 5 jet both with models as well as X-ray observations of other protostellar jets shows that a base/standing shock is a likely and plausible explanation for the apparent constancy of the observed X-ray emission. Internal shocks are also consistent with the observed morphology if the supply of jet material by the ejection of new blobs is sufficiently constant. We conclude that the study of the X-ray emission of protostellar jet sources allows us to diagnose the innermost regions close to the acceleration region of the outflows., Comment: A&A accepted, 14 pages, 9 figures

We report on new X-ray observations of the classical T Tauri star DG Tau. DG Tau drives a collimated bi-polar jet known to be a source of X-ray emission perhaps driven by internal shocks. The rather modest extinction permits study of the jet system to distances very close to the star itself. Our initial results presented here show that the spatially resolved X-ray jet has been moving and fading during the past six years. In contrast, a stationary, very soft source much closer (~ 0.15-0.2") to the star but apparently also related to the jet has brightened during the same period. We report accurate temperatures and absorption column densities toward this source, which is probably associated with the jet base or the jet collimation region., Comment: Proceedings of the 16 Cool Stars Workshop, in press, 7 pages, 7 figures

In close binary systems the atmosphere of one or both components can be significantly influenced by irradiation from the companion. Often the irradiated atmosphere is simulated with a single-temperature approximation for the entire half-sphere. We present a scheme to take the varying irradiation angle into account by combining several separate 1D models. This is independent of the actual code which provides the separate stellar spectra. We calculate the projected area of zones with given irradiation angle and use this geometrical factor to scale separate 1D models. As an example we calculate two different irradiation scenarios with the PHOENIX code. The scheme to calculate the projected area is applicable independent of the physical mechanism that forms these zones. In the case of irradiation by a primary with T=125000 K, the secondary forms ions at different ionisation states for different irradiation angles. No single irradiation angle exists which provides an accurate description of the spectrum. We show a similar simulation for weaker irradiation, where the profile of the H$\alpha$ line depends on the irradiation angle., Comment: published in A&A

We present early results of our multiwavelength study of the star forming region IRAS 20050+2720. While we use X-rays and IR to classify young stellar objects, the optical data can be used to exclude foreground objects. The dataset set contains 57 class I sources, 183 class II sources and 183 X-ray sources, of which 140 are class III candidates. Within IRAS 20050+2720 four subclusters are found. Subcluster A and B are the densest regions, which contain stars of all evolutionary stages. Subcluster C is much younger than the other two. It has not formed any class III objects yet. We newly identify a fourth subcluster, which consists mostly of class II objects and is located about 10 arcmin from the center of the cloud., Comment: Poster Proceedings Cool Stars 16

Classical T Tauri stars (CTTS) differ in their X-ray signatures from older pre-main sequence stars, e.g. weak-lined TTS (WTTS). CTTS show a soft excess and deviations from the low-density coronal limit in the He-like triplets. We test whether these features correlate with accretion or the presence of a disk by observing IM Lup, a disk-bearing object apparently in transition between CTTS and WTTS without obvious accretion. We analyse a Chandra grating spectrum and additional XMM-Newton data of IM Lup and accompanying optical spectra, some of them taken simultaneously to the X-ray observations. We fit the X-ray emission lines and decompose the Ha emission line in different components. In X-rays IM Lup has a bright and hot active corona, where elements of low first-ionisation potential are depleted. The He-like Ne IX triplet is in the low-density state, but due to the small number of counts a high-density scenario cannot be excluded on the 90% confidence level. In all X-ray properties IM Lup resembles a main-sequence star, but it is also compatible with CTTS signatures on the 90% confidence level, thus we cannot decide if the soft excess and deviations from the low-density coronal limit in the He-like triplets in CTTS require accretion or only the presence of a disk. IM Lup is chromospherically active, which explains most of the emission in Ha. Despite its low equivalent width, the complexity of the Ha line profile is reminiscent of CTTS. We present an estimate for the mass accretion rate of 10e-11 Msun/yr., Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, accepted by A&A

Classical T Tauri stars (CTTS) are young, late-type objects, that still accrete matter from a circumstellar disk. Analytical treatments and numerical simulations predict instabilities of the accretion shock on the stellar surface. We search for variability on timescales below a few minutes in the CTTS TW Hya and AA Tau. TW Hya was observed with SALTICAM on the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) in narrow-band filters around the Balmer jump. The observations were performed in slit mode, which provides a time resolution of about 0.1 s. For AA Tau we obtained observations with OPTIMA, a single photon-counting device with even better time resolution. Small-scale variability typically lasts a few seconds, however, no significant periodicity is detected. We place a 99 % confidence upper limit on the pulsed fraction of the lightcurves. The relative amplitude is below 0.001 for TW Hya in the frequency range 0.02-3 Hz in the 340 nm filter and 0.1-3 Hz in the 380 nm filter. The corresponding value for AA Tau is an amplitude of 0.005 for 0.02-50 Hz. The relevant timescales indicate that shock instabilites should not be seen directly in our optical and UV observations, but the predicted oscialltions would induce observable variations in the reddening. We discuss how the magnetic field could stabilise the accretion shock., Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures, accepted by A&A

The central part of the massive star-forming region Cepheus A contains several radio sources which indicate multiple outflow phenomena, yet the driving sources of the individual outflows have not been identified. We present a high-resolution Chandra observation of this region that shows the presence of bright X-ray sources, consistent with active pre-main sequence stars, while the strong absorption hampers the detection of less luminous objects. A new source has been discovered located on the line connecting H_2 emission regions at the eastern and western parts of Cepheus A. This source could be the driving source of HH 168. We present a scenario relating the observed X-ray and radio emission., Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in A&A

X-ray emission from massive stellar outflows has been detected in several cases. We present a Chandra observation of HH 168 and show that the soft X-ray emission from a plasma of 0.55 keV within HH 168 is diffuse. The X-ray emission is observed on two different scales: Three individual, yet extended, regions are embedded within a complex of low X-ray surface brightness. Compared to the bow shock the emission is displaced against the outflow direction. We show that there is no significant contribution from young stellar objects (YSOs) and discuss several shock scenarios that can produce the observed signatures. We establish that the X-ray emission of HH 168 is excited by internal shocks in contrast to simple models, which expect the bow shock to be the most X-ray luminous., Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in A&A